Marie Lynn Speckert
40x40x10 cm, steel, preserved and prepared omasum / leaf stomach
[tRAnsIt]
Transit (noun, medical term)
From Latin transitus — “a passing over, passage,” from transire = to go across, to pass through (trans- = across, + ire = to go)
——
The work [tRAnsIt] explores the moment of passage — the process without arrival.
The omasum, the third chamber in the complex digestive system of ruminants, becomes a site of quiet yet highly functional transition:
Nothing is decided here, but everything is prepared.
Water, time, matter — all pass through.
The stomach becomes a transit zone, a channeling unit.
Its metallic framework evokes industrial systems, mechanisms of control, scanning, and permeability.
What is shown here is not a staging of life or death, but a slowing down of an otherwise invisible process.
Transit, literally, means to go through.
It is a state of being in motion without belonging to a place.
This work transfers that idea onto the organ — as a passageway for foreign material, information, the bodily.
It asks: What remains when we preserve the process itself, but strip it of its Function?
The contrast between the preserved tissue and the rigid metal generates a tension — between decay and structure, between body and technology, between flow and fixation.
The work plays with our associations of control systems: animal bodies, transport routes, checkpoints.
At the same time, it serves as a quiet reminder of what remains unseen:
the continuous movement within the inner systems of bodies, machines, and societies.
[tRAnsIt] refers to the controlled or natural flowing through or passing across of a system or space — whether it be a country, an organ, or a celestial field.
It always emphasizes being in motion, never the act of arriving.
From Latin transitus — “a passing over, passage,” from transire = to go across, to pass through (trans- = across, + ire = to go)
——
The work [tRAnsIt] explores the moment of passage — the process without arrival.
The omasum, the third chamber in the complex digestive system of ruminants, becomes a site of quiet yet highly functional transition:
Nothing is decided here, but everything is prepared.
Water, time, matter — all pass through.
The stomach becomes a transit zone, a channeling unit.
Its metallic framework evokes industrial systems, mechanisms of control, scanning, and permeability.
What is shown here is not a staging of life or death, but a slowing down of an otherwise invisible process.
Transit, literally, means to go through.
It is a state of being in motion without belonging to a place.
This work transfers that idea onto the organ — as a passageway for foreign material, information, the bodily.
It asks: What remains when we preserve the process itself, but strip it of its Function?
The contrast between the preserved tissue and the rigid metal generates a tension — between decay and structure, between body and technology, between flow and fixation.
The work plays with our associations of control systems: animal bodies, transport routes, checkpoints.
At the same time, it serves as a quiet reminder of what remains unseen:
the continuous movement within the inner systems of bodies, machines, and societies.
[tRAnsIt] refers to the controlled or natural flowing through or passing across of a system or space — whether it be a country, an organ, or a celestial field.
It always emphasizes being in motion, never the act of arriving.
- Audio file
Marie Lynn Speckert (born in 1989 in Hanover, lives in Leipzig/Berlin) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges the fields of anatomy, biotechnology, human-computer interaction (HCI), and sound. Employing materials such as steel, epoxy resin, and organic substances, along with techniques like plastination, she creates immersive installations and live performances that explore the evolving relationship between the human body, technology, and artificial environments. Her works often integrate film as a medium to extend the narrative and visual dimensions of her explorations.
Speckert's practice is rooted in the study of systems theory, particularly in relation to the human body and its structures. Drawing on her expertise in anatomical preparation, she critically examines the interplay between materiality, technology, and human behavior, blending scientific precision with artistic innovation. Her research delves into parasitic and symbiotic relationships between technology, sculpture, and sound, presenting a nuanced reflection on themes of agency, transformation, and the boundaries between organic and artificial. By incorporating elements like steel—a material emblematic of industrial and technological progress—alongside ephemeral media such as film, Speckert crafts works that challenge perceptions and invite audiences to question the interconnectedness of their environments.
Website: marielynnspeckert.de
Speckert's practice is rooted in the study of systems theory, particularly in relation to the human body and its structures. Drawing on her expertise in anatomical preparation, she critically examines the interplay between materiality, technology, and human behavior, blending scientific precision with artistic innovation. Her research delves into parasitic and symbiotic relationships between technology, sculpture, and sound, presenting a nuanced reflection on themes of agency, transformation, and the boundaries between organic and artificial. By incorporating elements like steel—a material emblematic of industrial and technological progress—alongside ephemeral media such as film, Speckert crafts works that challenge perceptions and invite audiences to question the interconnectedness of their environments.
Website: marielynnspeckert.de